The Best Sex Positions You Should Try Tonight

An Illustrated Guide To 37 Sex Positions You Need To Try Before You Die

Just about every guy and girl in the world likes sex. Hell, if most of us could just skip the whole work thing and spend all of our time in bed every day, we would.

But with all that need to have sex comes the urge to have a bit of variety. Fortunately, there's plenty of different configurations you and your partner can try out. To make them easier to imitate, and to jumpstart your imagination, we've also crafted illustrations of each and every position and given you the skinny on just what you can expect from each. Whether you're into slow and steady, fast and furious, anal sex positions or great ways to play orally, you'll find something here to try tonight.

Missionary

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Missionary position is the most famous and classic of all sex positions. The eye contact, the mild male dominance and the angle of penetration make this a popular one, and odds are, the first time you had sex was in a missionary position. A very comfortable position that allows for easy thrusting, and an easy pull-out if you’re a man, there’s plenty of benefits to it and it’ll work its way into basically any sexual encounter you find yourself in, at some point.

Woman Lying On Top

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This position requires a lot of exertion on the woman’s part but could be very intense; it can also work as an anal sex position, and give her a lot of control in that scenario. It’s pretty self explanatory; you lie flat on your back hold her by the hips or butt, while she partly props herself up using her elbows and legs, arching her back and placing her shoulders and shoulderblades on your chest. Then she lowers herself up and down, to control how deeply you move in and out of her. To prevent her from getting tired, help her by supporting her butt and taking some of the weight.

69'ing

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The classic mutual pleasure oral position, 69-ing is a thrill for the head-to-toe positioning. It also works for any combination of two sex partners. You either lie on your sides, or one on top of the other (woman on top), with each of your pleasuring the other orally. An intense position, it also tests your concentration and your ability to pleasure your partner while she’s doing the same for you. Work on this one and play with various configurations so you’re most comfortable. This is how you get oral sex without feeling selfish.

Face-sitting (Oral)

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Face-sitting can be very hot because it adds an extra element of dominance and submissiveness to your oral play. Have your partner lie on her back; she can prop up her head either using a pillow or leaning her shoulders against the wall. Then, thrust into her mouth. It’s a good idea to go gently here because you could make this uncomfortable otherwise. Work with her body language and cues to figure out your rhythm and how deep you can go.

For female on male, this position works even better. Though a variety of stools and special sex chairs are made just for this position, in practice you can just have her straddle your face with her thighs and lower her crotch onto your lips, with her choosing to apply the pressure the way she wants to. The warmth, pressure, taste and wetness of this position make it a truly immersive oral experience.

Doggy-Style

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Doggy-style is one of the favorite sex positions of millions of people for a few reasons. It’s the classic female submissive position and really lets the man be in control, and there’s more than a few variations on it. In its simplest form, you kneel on the bed, with your girl on all fours. Enter her from behind, and hold onto her hips and/or torso. You can decide to go slow or hard. If you want to add some roughness, and your girl is into that, this position is solid for pulling on hair or spanking as well, to add to the general submissiveness of the position. If you have a free hand, a clitoral reach-around or playing with her breasts can add extra stimulation to the position.

Reach For The Sky

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Doggy-style is normally done kneeling, but it doesn’t have to be. An easy transition from normal doggy-style, in this version you actually get up on your feet and stand up, and lean way over her. You’ll get somewhat of a less intense thrust than regular doggy-style, but in return you'll have a different sensation, particularly for her, and a pretty decent workout for your hamstring and ankles from it. The leaning forward actually lets you get a somewhat deeper feel, and the difficulty quotient will make you feel all the more accomplished for pulling it off.

Woman On Table Sex

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For truly intense thrusting and sex that involves a lot of power, having your feet firmly planted on the ground is a great way to go. Have your girlfriend lie flat on the table (this also works with any roughly waist-high platform) and have her butt pushed right up to the edge, or even overhanging a tiny bit. Then enter her and you’ll see how much power and stability you have from being in a standing position.

As for her legs, there are a few options; you can have her wrap them around you, you could have them hanging down or up against your shoulders, you could even have her lie on her side as well for a differing angle of penetration.

Doggy-style Oral

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Unlike 69-ing or face-sitting, this doggy-style oral sex position is (crazy bending ability aside) just for performing on women. Have her get down on all fours, either propping herself up on her knees and hands or knees and elbows. You then either get down on all fours and pleasure her orally from behind, or have her on all fours next to the edge of the bed so that you can either stand or kneel on the ground to make it easier on your back. This position is also great for analingus, if you so desire.

Girl On Top

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Probably the second position you'll have learned after "missionary," there's more than a few reasons why girl on top is arguably the favorite sex position in the world. You get to lie back and get a simply wonderful view of your girl moving up and down; she gets excellent clitoral stimulation and a lot of control of depth and penetration. This is arguably the quickest way for a girl to get an orgasm, although quite a bit more difficult for you in that position. Use your free hands to massage her breasts, and if you want to add an element of dominance despite your position on the bottom, you can place your fingers gently around her neck.

We also hate to mention it, but you should also bear in mind that if you bounce her too vigorously, there is a chance you'll slip out, and she'll bounce back down on your manhood, and you'll deal with something called "penile fracture." So bear this in mind.

Crouching Reverse Cowgirl

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The reverse cowgirl is usually done in something of a vertical T-position, with the man lying flat on his back and the woman bouncing up and down mostly upright. You can add a variation to this by having her lean forward, so that her head is actually almost over top of your feet. By planting her arms onto the ground/bed or even grabbing your shins, she can really get a lot of leverage to move herself back and forth. This one really leaves her in control and lets you sit back and chill out, which all things considered.

Reverse Cowgirl

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A classic, the reverse cowgirl puts the man on the bottom and has the woman straddling him facing away. She can control the angle of penetration here, and the man gets a great view of her from behind. If you want to change things up, arch your knees up to give her something to easily push off of. If you want to make eye contact and get a view of her from the front, a mirror could also be your friend here, although the “no eye contact” is one of the perks of this as well.

Legs On Shoulders

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A classic take on missionary, this one can either be done with you lying down on top of her, or with her positioned at the edge of the bed and with you in standing (or more accurately leaning in) with her legs on your shoulders as you penetrate her. This position gives the man all of the control of penetration, but it will also allow you to penetrate more deeply, so it’s f a win-win. You may need to grasp her legs and pull in gently to prevent your thrusting from pushing her away from you.

Standing Sex

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Bro, do you even lift (your girlfriend up to have sex with her?) Grab her thighs and then have her wrap her legs around you while hanging off your shoulders with her arms. Make sure you're strong enough to pull this one off, and then penetrate her. You'll probably have to live her up higher and then slower her very slowly onto your penis.

We'd add a pretty big note of caution here: make sure you have a very firm grip and take this slowly and safely, as there is the potential for injury here if you drop your girlfriend — for both of you.

The Frog

Another spin on missionary, the frog looks to sacrifice elevation and power for proper positioning. Start in regular missionary, and then flatten your torso as much possible, while your girl should arch her legs and put her legs on your butt. What you're doing here is targeting the clitoris for more direct rubbing and friction. The pressure you put on her clitoris could help her get to orgasm quicker. You should also be staying nice and deep within her in this position so that your shaft is rubbing up against her clitoris, not the tip. In other words, this position is more for her pleasure than yours.

Pile Driver

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Those yoga lessons she’s been taking? Those could come in handy now, although this one is no walk in the park for the man either. It’s an intense position by any stretch of the imagination, and one you’re not likely to be able to sustain for long.

To get into this one, have her lie on her back, then lift her legs up slowly from her thighs until her torso is coming off the floor. Slowly raise her butt up so that it’s almost above her head, and then straddle her, using up and down motion to enter her. you’re going to have to lean forward somewhat in order to position your c*ck at the right angle, which is going to take a bit of bending regardless.

Sex In A Hot Tub

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Is there a specific sex position for the hot tub? Probably not, but it’s a natural place for sex; you’re already in close contact with people wearing very little other clothing anyway. In addition to the jets of a hot tub being a wonderful masturbatory aid for women to get her started (you can also fondle her nipples and lend a hand as well), there are benches all around for the man to sit on. Remember, finish quickly though: you don’t want to be in there for more than 20 minutes.

Sideways Oral

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Recline on your side, and have your partner position herself so that her head is in line with your crotch. She should also be on her side, using and can wrap her arm around your legs for balance and leverage. From there, it’s up to you; you can totally sit back and let her do all the work, or provide the thrusting motion yourself. This is an incredibly comfortable and relaxed position for both of you. Your partner may need to tuck her legs in to prevent her legs from overhanging the bed (if that’s where you’re at) or even placing a chair next to the bed if you’re a taller couple so that her legs aren’t overhanging into nothingness.

Spooning

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Spooning is one of the “cuddliest” of the sex positions, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make it intense. You lie on your side, with your girl in front of you, facing away. Enter her from behind, and then both of you can control the pace and depth of thrusting. The position is comfortable, for longer sexual sessions with a lot of sensual touching and kissing of the back of the neck. You can also get quite handsy and reach around the play with her nipples or even reach down and add extra stimulation to her clitoris from the front. You can also make it anal.

Bedside Doggy-Style

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A lot of sexual positions have the woman on an elevated platform with the man on the ground — this one flips the script. Go the edge of the bed and kneel. Have her standing straight up and back up to you slowly, and then bend over at 90 degrees. You then enter her from behind and thrust away. This one has a little bit less of the hands-on potential of traditional doggy-style, but it’s an interest take on the position that’s arguably even more male-dominant. If you want to make things easier on her back, you can place a chair or desk to place her arms on for support.

Scissoring

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We'll be honest; aside from the awesomeness of the name, and the novelty of emulating the configuration of those things you used to cut through bristol board as a child, you might find this one a bit challenging. Scissoring involves you intertwining your legs together, and placing yourself at something approaching a 90-degree angle to each other. Insert yourself into your girlfriend, and then move your hips to thrust in and out. You'll need to do this slowly and carefully, as it's pretty easy to slip out in this position.

This position is pretty unique because it involves very little eye contact, and places your heads pretty far away from each other, and your body position is such that you can't really use your hands to fondle her in any way. Little eye contact, a lot of distance, and difficult thrusting make this one a toughie, but sexually experienced couples should give it a go just for the novelty.

The Scissor-Straddle

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Though “scissoring” is a real thing as well, this position requires a bit of twisting to make it happen and some knee endurance. Perfect for the woman to be fully comfortable and let herself go, this puts the man in full command of how fast and how deep he wants to penetrate. As with all such kneeling positions, this one is going to seriously test your leg muscles and how cramp-proof you are, but the effort is always worth it.

The Pancake

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A more extreme variant on the "legs on shoulders," this one really put the man in the driver's seat. Start with your torso more or less vertical and her legs on your shoulders. Descent slowly until you're basically folding her in half. For more leverage, you can reach around her back with your arms and pull her tightly against you. This one gives her very little leverage or control, so it's basically you who is 100% in charge of the thrusting; it's a more anatomical way of tying her up. The pressure you're putting on her muscles can also create a tightness in her pelvis, leading to an increased tighter feel for you. You should make sure she's flexible enough to pull this one off and keep in mind you'll probably be able to pull this off for just a few minutes.

Elevated Cunnilingus

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A table, a windowsill, a countertop, whatever the case, having your girl up above means that you can go down on her… without going down too much. Have her bring her legs right up to the edge of whatever platform she’s on, and then either kneel or stand (depending on her and your height) and please her with your tongue. This is another one that is great for getting it on in public, because you don’t need a nice cushy surface to lie down on.

The T-Position

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Most sex positions are have your bodies lined up more-or-less; here, this one involves putting the “d*ck” into perpend*ck-ular. Have her start off by lying on her back, you lie on your side, and penetrate her from the side. This sort of thing either works best on a nice comfy floor or a queen or king-size bed, but you’ll need a fair bit of real estate to pull this off. Once you’re inside her, you control the pace and depth of the thrusting. This position is a little bit less popular because it’s less obvious and doesn’t provide as intense or intimate experience as some of the others, but it allows you to shake things up. Additionally, because often men’s penises are wider than they are tall, this means that by effectively turning your penis sideways you can better target her clitoris.

The Cradle

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This is one requires a lot of intimacy and patience; you won’t get much intensity or deep thrusting. To get into this, you sit down facing your girlfriend, and wrap your legs around her. She does the same, keeping her legs inside yours. She should slide her butt forwards a little bit until you can slide inside her.

This is a low-intensity position that creates a lot of close contact and intimacy, and a slow build to orgasm if you do it right. Probably not the one to try on a first date, but it can be rewarding all the same.

The Backseat Special

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The backseat is a favorite sex spot because of it being the most convenient spot to have sex when you're typically surrounded by inconvenient places to have sex. So if you're driving on the highway next to your girl and you're bored as sin, and get understandable horny, you can't well have a roll on the interstate. The backseat is a cramped, semi-public locale for sex, which can add to the thrill of it. For this, you're probably better off sticking to the standard girl on top or missionary positions.

The Hood

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There's a joke here about hoods and hoods. You see, the hood is part of the female anatomy, and the hood is also part of your car. And yes, the hood of your car is a great place to prop up your girlfriend, and use your tongue to explore beneath her hood (where you'll find her clitoris.) Foreplay on top of a car? This one probably only works in a secluded location, but there's a reason God made camping vacations, and it sure as hell ain't damp sleeping bags or gritty coffee.

The Seated Blowjob

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Is there anything than getting a blowjob while seated? Don't answer that; it's a rhetorical question, and besides, the answer is no. This is one that could literally put you in the driver's seat, as it's a classic car favorite. That's a sideways angle, but of course you can always do this from the front, with you seated on a chair of your choice and her kneeling in front of it. If you're really, really sexually adventurous, there's a variant on this called the blumpkin... but you'll have to Google it.

Kneeling Sex

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Another position that’s all about intimacy, kneeling sex can be rewarding if pulled off right. We’d suggest finding a cushion, pillow or yoga mat to take some of the strain off your knees. This position also works best if the man isn’t too much taller than the woman; if you’re 6’3” and your girlfriend is 5’5”, this might not work. You kneel, placing your left outstretched knee to the left of the woman and your right leg behind you. The woman does the same. To get penetration, you should try to lower your pelvis beneath your partner’s (hence why this might be difficult for taller folk) and slip your penis into her vagina. Once you’re inside her, this position becomes easier, as she rocks her pelvis back and forth until you both get off. If your balance is good enough, there’s also potential for a bit of anal or nipple play with your hands.

The Passenger Seat

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If the backseat is a bit too cramped, the passenger seat is an excellent venue for getting it on... if you don't mind just how public that could be (remember, your windshield isn't tinted!), you might even get a thrill from it.

Kneel Together

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This position is a great variation on regular doggy-style. In this edition, you enter her from behind as you would normally with doggy-style, only then both of you straighten your torsos straight up. This position means her hands are a load free-er than they’d normally be during doggy-style, which means she can more easily play with her clitoris or even reach down and grab your balls.

Standing From Behind

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Another public sex favorite that can work for anal, this position is relatively simple; both of you are standing, and you enter her from behind. She can be completely upright, in which case you'll want either a wall, or a tree, or a similarly vertical object for her to lean against. Another way to do it is to have her lean against a desk or table.

Kneel And Deliver

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Another kneeling sex position, this one also doesn’t require a bed or even nice surface to do your thing on. You get on your knees, resting your ass on your hamstrings. Have her sit down slowly until you enter her, with her wrapping her arms around you for added balance. While this one looks uncomfortable, the angle and stability actually mean this one can be reasonably intense, while providing eye-to-eye contact and a “do-it-anywhere” convenience.

The Bridge

A kneeling position for the man, the bridge gives you a wonderful view of her breasts and torso while demanding a lot of her physically. While she creates an arch with her arms and legs, you kneel in front of her and penetrate her. She won't be able to do too much moving, aside from keeping herself upright, so your job is to grab her ass and start pulling her hips back and forth to get the necessary motion to make the whole thing work. Supporting her ass with your hands a bit will also take some of the strain off her arms.

Doggy-style Stairs

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Another set up that works for anal sex or vaginal sex, the doggy-style sex on the stairs takes advantage of the natural inclination and steps to create new angles and supports for a classic position. Again, carpeted steps or a towel to protect her knees are a good idea. Depending on your height, you can either be standing or kneeling for this one. The stairs mean she can keep herself more upright, and the fact that you’ll be on a lower step means you have a more natural, upright angle to enter her vagina than traditional doggy style on a flat surface. Just make sure you don’t fall!

The Wheelbarrow

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This one is all about her upper body strength and your back and leg strength. Barring some kind of Olympian training you each have, this is probably a bit of a transition position rather than anything that’s going to lead to long-lasting sex or orgasm. Have her start on all fours, and then you lift up her pelvis until her vagina is in line with your penis. Grasp her around her hips firmly and thrust into her. Rather than having her try to do vertical pushups, or you pulling her back and forth, both of which are liable to tire you out, do the work with your hips. The position can actually be quite interesting for her clitoris.

The Superman

Perhaps the ultimate strength test sex position, the "Superman" sees you bend her over a desk or table, with her using it for support. Then, once you're inside her, lift her pelvis up slowly until her feet are actually off the ground, and you're holding on to her as you thrust in and out. The sheer physical intensity of this one means it's not for the faint-hearted, but can provide an adrenaline rush as you go closer and closer to your breaking point. Keep safety in mind and let her down gently as soon as your strength starts to wane, and make sure you don't pull out too much.